Keeping the Dog Company

One common reason people get a pet is because animals are loyal companions. Whether we're talking about their dependability, sympathy, or watchfulness, dogs make great companions.

The reason why they are such great companions is that they are natural pack animals.

When Do Dogs Get Lonely

It is oftentimes in the fall when we see dogs of all types starting to exhibit poorbehavior. Shorter days, less exercise and kids going back to school are all contributing factors of this behavior change.

Why Dogs Need Socialization

Just like people are designed to live in community, dogs need a certain amount of socialization to be healthy.. Leaving our dog home all day, our pal will get down, even to the point of having physical and psychological problems. Unfortunately leaving a TV or radio on does not satisfy their need for community, in part because they are scent oriented more than visual or auditory.

Aside from needing interaction, dogs need to let out their natural energy. Not satisfying the need for physical exertion leads to negative impacts on your dog's health. Combined with loneliness, this becomes a behavioral powderkeg.

Signs Your Dog is Lonely

Signs your dog is suffering from loneliness include:

• separation anxiety
• chewing on themselves
• destructive behavior
• barking excessively
• marking the house
• obsessive tail chasing

If you pay attention to these symptoms early, you'll avoid the headache of trying to "discipline" bad behavior.

Treatment for Lonely Dogs

There is no medication that will treat your lonely dog, and spending more time with them personally may not be possible.. There are several things you can do to help cure your buddy's loneliness:

Adopt a second dog. As we've stated, the dog's natural social environment is a group. Consider adopting a second dog if you're a single-pet home. Multiple dogs in a home is a natural socialization environment, as long as they are in close proximity.

Enroll in doggie daycare. A quality doggie daycare provides plenty of space and opportunity for your dog to expend some of his energy, but also to get the much needed attention from other animals. Even 2-3 days per week will increase the mental and physical health of your dog.

Make frequent visits to dog parks. The Tamps Bay area has a plethora of dog parks for you to visit. If you're outside the Tampa area, just do a quick search for dog parks on a directory like DogPark.com. This will allow both you and your buddy to make some friends, get some exercise and breathe some fresh air.

Give your buddy an interactive toy. Interactive toys include things like the chew toys with a treat inside, dog puzzles, and such. While these are a good short-term solution, they do not provide socialization or interaction they need. If you're going to be gone a day or two more than normal, these may be a great solution. However, if your time away remains constant, you'll want to consider one of the other solutions.

Our dogs are there for us through good times and bad. Let's make sure we're looking out for their best interest too!